Why Google Ads Keeps Finding Bargain Hunters (And How to Fix It in 2026)

Sarah Stemen discusses the death of the discount and the importance of a value-first approach in paid search strategy. She emphasizes the shift from a sales and discount flywheel to a trust economy, highlighting the significance of consumer preferences, ad creative as targeting, and the role of generational behavior in PPC strategy. Sarah also provides insights on PPC budget allocation, value-first experimentation, and applying a value-first PPC strategy, along with a value-first ad creative checklist.TakeawaysValue-first approachCreative as targetingChapters00:00 Introduction and Authority Declaration07:27 The Role of Creative Signals in PPC13:21 Applying Value-First PPC StrategyThe Death of the Discount: Why "Value-First" is the Only Way to Scale PPC in 2026Other Blog Posts You Might Like:Blog Posts You Might Like:https://www.thesarahstemen.com/blog/build-it-and-they-will-come-is-a-scamhttps://www.thesarahstemen.com/blog/google-marketing-live-2026-what-it-actually-meanshttps://www.thesarahstemen.com/blog/how-can-i-show-the-person-behind-my-brand